DON'T MOVE

COLOSSIANS 1:21-23 NKJV 

21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. 

The book of Colossians is a short but powerful letter. Like some of Paul's other writings, the first two chapters are doctrinal. And the last two chapters are more practical. 

In our verses for today, Paul is describing the condition of these Gentiles before Christ.  

They were separated from God and enemies by their wicked actions. But Christ reconciled them to God. What a great picture of the love of God. Even when enemies, Christ died in order to reconcile, reconnect God and mankind. 

Christ did this through his death in order to present all those who believe in Him, holy and blameless and above reproach in God's sight. 

That's quite a change and a truth we have to accept by faith that we are holy, blameless, and above reproach. Of course, this is a positional truth. This is how we are positioned spiritually because of our faith in Jesus.  

Paul then adds a qualifier. We are to continue in this faith. We are to become grounded and steadfast in what we have become in Christ.  

Grounded means to be established. A foundation. Steadfast means to be steady and secure.  

And not moved away from the hope, the expectation of the gospel. The gospel being all that God has done for us in Christ and what we have in Him. 

APPLICATION: 

So the change in our lives was when we received Jesus by faith. Now the task before us is to stay in this faith. 

We are to stay steady with a solid foundation of what Jesus has done. And who we are now because of our faith in Him.  

And then do not move away. Do not drift away from the amazing hope we have in the gospel. 

Paul would not have warned these believers if this moving away was not a real thing. Over the years, I have watched people come to Christ and see their lives turn around. But then, sadly, they moved. They moved away from the hope they had in Jesus. They are not lost, but they are not enjoying the life we have in God and all the benefits of being in Christ.  

Stay steady. Don't move!